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Blue Jays' John Schneider Sends Clear Message After Loss to Guardians - Yahoo Sports

Published 1 week ago2 minute read

The Toronto Blue Jays' three-game winning streak came to an abrupt end on Saturday, as they fell 5-3 to the Cleveland Guardians at Rogers Centre. Toronto established an early lead with Bo Bichette's leadoff home run—his first of the season—and added runs via a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly, bringing the score to 3-0 by the fifth inning.

Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman delivered a dominant performance, allowing just one hit and striking out nine over six shutout innings. However, the Guardians began to chip away at the lead, with Daniel Schneemann hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning to make it 3-1.

Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker (41) talks with starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34)© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker (41) talks with starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34)© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

In the ninth inning, reliever Yimi García was tasked with closing out the game. García allowed a single to Steven Kwan and issued walks to Carlos Santana and Bo Naylor, loading the bases.

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Facing Schneemann, García delivered an 0-1 pitch that was driven into the right-field stands for a grand slam, turning a 3-1 lead into a 5-3 deficit. This marked García's second blown save in four opportunities this season.

Despite the loss, manager John Schneider expressed unwavering confidence in García.

"We've got all the trust in the world in him... I'll give the ball to Yimi 100 times out of 100 in that situation." He added, "Losing sucks. Yimi's been so freaking good for us for a long time. It just happens sometimes."

García's performance this season has been solid overall, with a 2.45 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and a 0.95 WHIP over 14.2 innings pitched. This represents a significant improvement from his 6.96 ERA over 29 appearances in the 2024 season.

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The Blue Jays and Guardians will conclude their series on Sunday. Toronto's Bowden Francis (2-4, 5.28 ERA) is scheduled to face Cleveland's Tanner Bibee (2-2, 4.36 ERA) in the rubber match.

Related: Blue Jays Make Move for Former Phillies Pitcher After Max Scherzer News

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